Can anyone tell me what a dossier is, and what it involves?

Question

I could really do with some in-depth answers :), like how to go about writing one etc.

Answer 1

Since you are asking this question in the Higher Education category, I assume you are referring to the document that faculty must present to promotion and tenure committees.

At many universities, assistant professors are asked to submit a pre-tenure dossier in their third, fourth, and fifth years prior to going up for promotion and tenure.

Each of these dossiers documents everything that faculty person has done during his/her time at the university in question. Each year's dossier builds on the previous one. The final, sixth-year, tenure dossier is the one presented to the promotion and tenure committee for review when that faculty person goes up for promotion and tenure.

One prepares to begin compiling these dossiers by keeping meticulous records from the beginning of employment at that university. While a CV records some of the information needed in a dossier, much more detail is required.

Dossiers usually begin with Education and Employment History, and then segue into the three main sections: Research and Publications, Teaching, and Service. There are a number of subcategories for each section.

For example, subcategories under Research and Publications would include books, articles, book reviews, encyclopedia entries, etc., all categorized by whether the work is already published, under review, in progress, etc. Subcategories under Teaching would include courses designed, courses taught, student evaluations, etc. Subcategories under Service would include service to the profession, to the university, to the department, and to students.

Every university has extremely strict guidelines about the format and content of a dossier, so I would not presume to tell you how to go about writing yours. This format can usually be found somewhere on the university's website, sometimes in the Faculty Handbook, usually under Faculty Promotion and Tenure.

Answer 2

An extremely involved and in depth composition of data, facts, and information about a particular subject (usually a person) ......
For this compiled folder of materials to reach the "dossier" stage it has to have a lot of specialized information included that actually invades the subject's personal space---usually becoming so minute in its process as to include personal habits and lists of the individuals acquaintances etc !!!

Answer 3

File on someone's background. Info on them.